Parents worry about 'nature-deficit disorder' in kids

Davo Ross, 8, of Seattle wanders through the woods earlier this week during a class at the Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall.

Davo Ross, 8, of Seattle wanders through the woods earlier this week during a class at the Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall.

Photo: Karen Ducey/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Photo: Karen Ducey/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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Davo Ross, 8, of Seattle wanders through the woods earlier this week during a class at the Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall.

Davo Ross, 8, of Seattle wanders through the woods earlier this week during a class at the Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall.

Photo: Karen Ducey/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Parents worry about 'nature-deficit disorder' in kids

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After squishing through mud, crawling under tree boughs and skirting a glassy pond, the small troop of kids and teachers stopped at a clearing in the woods.

Squatting in the wet leaves, instructor Sol Doran placed a sprig of fir on the ground in front of her and another a foot away.

"If this is malalo," said Doran, pointing to the first sprig and referring to the African-style hut where the journey started, "and this is the pond," she said pointing to another, "where are we?"

The students from Duvall's Wilderness Awareness School, who ranged in age from about 7 to 12, considered the question. They moved a third sprig back and forth into different spots on the impromptu map. Consensus was reached.

Exploring woods, learning animal tracks and birdcalls, creating maps and figuring out which trees make the best firewood are all part of the curriculum at the wilderness school. Students -- who come from around the region and attend home, public or private school -- are encouraged to explore and physically interact with nature.

In years past, most kids did this on their own. They would get home from school, hop on bikes and disappear into parks and woods until summoned by Mom or the streetlights blinked on. They climbed trees, peeked under rocks and splashed through puddles and streams.

Today, it seems, that's not often the case.

Educators and parents increasingly are worried about what that means in terms of children's physical and mental development.

Scientists are finding that contact with nature can benefit kids in numerous ways, reducing symptoms of hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorders and leading to inner-city girls acting with better self-discipline. Kids in California performed better on science tests after a week in the woods. A survey found that conservation-minded adults traced those concerns to time spent in the wilderness.

Frances Kuo, a psychology professor from the University of Illinois, has done some of the key research on the benefits of nature on people of all ages -- but says more work is needed.

"As a scientist, I cannot say, 'OK, look. We know that nature is necessary for kids.' We haven't reached that level of scientific evidence," she said.

"As a parent who happens to be acquainted with the scientific literature," she added, "I'm doing it. I'm sold."

Monday evening a free panel discussion on the topic -- titled "Raising Children With Connections to Nature: The Battle Against Nature Deficit Disorder" -- is scheduled at the REI store in Seattle.

Since the 1970s, kids have spent a decreasing amount of time playing in nature and the trend quickly is worsening, said Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder." His book, which was published two years ago, is credited with igniting the back-to-nature movement for kids.

The matter has wide-reaching implications, he said in an interview.

"Where do the future stewards of the Earth come from?" he asked. "These are questions that go beyond parenting to the health of the Earth itself."

Louv and others are promoting the idea of a national "No Child Left Inside" campaign, playing off the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind academic-achievement program.

Last year, state lawmakers passed a bill instructing the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to research the potential importance of nature in learning and development. This year Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, is expected to seek $2.5 million in the budget for outdoor education.

Parental fears that the outdoors are unsafe are largely to blame for keeping kids indoors, Louv said. Other barriers are limited access to wild places for city kids and children's schedules, often packed with organized sports and homework.

Then there are electronics: Kids from the ages of 8 to 18 spend about six hours a day plugged into TVs, computers, video games and other media, according to a 2005 Kaiser Family Foundation study.

Those promoting the idea of kids getting outside emphasize that it doesn't need to be through special environmental schools or programs. It doesn't have to be intensive immersions in the wilderness. Just checking out a pine cone or swinging from a tree limb can be beneficial.